


Remember When?

by fanfoolishness (LoonyLupin), LoonyLupin



Series: Starshine Over Beach City: Moments from Steven Universe [25]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Post-Episode: s06e10 Prickly Pair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22125025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/pseuds/fanfoolishness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/pseuds/LoonyLupin
Summary: After Cactus Steven wrecks the beach house, Steven crashes with Greg. It’s not like it used to be.
Relationships: Greg Universe & Steven Universe
Series: Starshine Over Beach City: Moments from Steven Universe [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1523993
Comments: 27
Kudos: 266





	Remember When?

Greg hoped Steven would talk to him. Hoped it as hard as anything. But as the night went on, he became more uncertain as to whether or not he would get a word out from his son.

It wasn’t until halfway through the second sci-fi movie that Steven said anything more complicated than “hey” or “sure” or “okay.” It was mumbled quietly enough that Greg almost didn’t hear it through the scientist’s monologue about humanity making a monster. He paused the movie when he realized Steven was talking.

“Uh, thanks for letting me stay with you, Dad.” Steven didn’t look at him, though. He sat huddled against the side of the van,half wrapped in his green sleeping bag. Greg wondered when he’d outgrown the old caterpillar one. It had been years since they’d had any kind of sleepover together.

“Steven, you know you can always stay here,” said Greg. He hoped he sounded more confident and supportive than he felt. He fought to squash down the fear that had been churning his stomach since that morning, when he’d gone over to visit Steven with a box full of vegetarian breakfast sandwiches and seen the broken house. He glanced back and saw the box still sitting in his front seat, forgotten after hours of trying to help Steven and the Gems clean the place up. His hands still stung from getting poked by cactus spines.

“Yeah, I know, it’s just -- I didn’t want to be there tonight.” Steven hunkered down into himself, shoulders hunching, head sinking until his neck was no longer visible. 

Greg scooted beside him, reaching out to rub Steven’s back. It used to always help when Steven was a little guy, crying about a skinned knee or a broken toy. But Steven tensed under his touch, and he quickly pulled his hand away, aching.

“Do… you want to talk about it?” He remembered what Pearl had told him earlier today. _Greg, we’re all so worried about Steven. That cactus monster could talk. Steven accidentally taught it to repeat everything he said, and it was so_ **_angry_ ** _at us_ **_,_ ** _but he still won’t tell us what’s wrong --_

Steven shrugged, gazing out the window into the dark. Beyond Steven’s profile Greg could see just a hint of the streetlight near the car wash. It bathed the edge of Steven’s face in an unhealthy amber glow. 

“What’s to say? I screwed up. Again. I should have been more careful.”

“Again?” asked Greg cautiously, confused. Screwed up? He could hardly think of anyone who’d screwed up _less_ in their life.

“I just -- you know, like when I was a kid. Losing control of my powers. Now the house is all smashed up and it’s my fault.” Steven rubbed his face, then leaned against the wall of the van, away from Greg. “I don’t really want to talk about it. Can you put the movie back on?”

“It was an accident,” said Greg, as gently as he could. The fear in the pit of his stomach weighed more heavily than ever. He’d never seen Steven stay so down on himself for more than a few minutes, but he’d been like this all day, sullen, evasive, angry at himself. Nothing Greg said seemed to be helping, and Steven had barely said more than a word to the Gems all day. He tried again. “Everyone makes mistakes. We all know you didn’t mean for the house to get destroyed. Don’t be so hard on yourself, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kid --” Steven let out a frustrated noise. “Look, I should know better. I can’t be careless like that again.” His shoulders trembled. “I could hurt someone.”

“But you _wouldn’t_ ,” Greg insisted. “Hey. Look at me.”

Steven turned to look at him, but it was only out of the corner of his eye, half of his face still in shadow. His expression was wary, like he was waiting for an attack. Aghast, Greg gazed back at him. What was _happening_ to Steven?

“What’s this really all about? We used to be able to talk, Schtu-ball,” Greg tried. “Your old man’s here for you. If you can’t talk to the Gems, why don’t you try me?”

Steven closed his eyes, a short, bitter laugh escaping him. “There’s a _lot_ I never told you, Dad.” He lay down in his sleeping bag and pulled the cover over his head until just a few dark curls stuck out. “Whatever. I’m really tired,” he said, voice muffled. “Night.”

“Okay, ki-- Steven,” said Greg, defeated. He hit the play button, and the scientist went back to warning about the looming threat. The TV’s light flickered in black and white over the lumpy sleeping bag beside Greg. 

The monster ravaged the city and the scientist wailed about the doom of humanity. Greg wasn’t paying attention. He simply sat there, watching Steven’s chest rise and fall. Half an hour passed, and Steven still wasn’t asleep. Just pretending to be.

The movie ended. The world was saved, or maybe it wasn’t. Greg wasn’t sure. Mechanically he turned off the TV, leaving only a thin sliver of amber streetlight inside the van. He laid down against his thin mattress, pulling the blankets over himself and staring up at the darkened ceiling.

He listened to his son breathe, an unending series of carefully measured breaths, in and out. None of Steven’s usual gentle snoring, though.

How long had it been since it was just the two of them in the van? This old van had seen so much laughter, heard so many songs, been there for so many moments between them. Yet it had been years since they’d really _been_ here together, he thought. Years of Steven growing, changing, saving the day, saving the _world_. Steven had gone through so much more than Greg had ever wanted him to face, so much more than they could have ever prepared him for. And Greg had missed far more than he’d ever realized.

 _There’s a_ **_lot_ ** _I never told you._

His fingers curled around his blanket, hands tensing until his palms ached. It felt like there were still a few cactus spines embedded in his fingertips. He had to try again to reach him, to help.

“Steven?” he whispered into the dark, hoping, hoping for an answer. For _the_ answer. 

He waited. The only reply was the steady breathing of a stranger.

**Author's Note:**

> it makes me so sad but I couldn’t help but write it 😥


End file.
